Danny Phantom's Original Concept
by Silver Sheryl
Summary: ADOPTED BY PRENNCOODER. Based off Butch Hartman's original concept for the show. Featuring angsty Danny, hyper Tucker, city girl Sam, action!Paulina, and secret agent Elliot. DxP TxS set in a toxic-city type AU. Vlad's more than just a crazed-up fruit loop. And it's not because of something you'd expect. The man is the face of evil, which is only one letter apart from devil
1. Introduction

**Original Concept Introduction**

**By Nosilla Parvatir**

I heard about this on the internet and you can find a similar statement of the original concept on Wikipedia.

The ORIGINAL CONCEPT of Danny Phantom was a kid who hunted ghosts with his pet owl Spooky. Danny had a motorcycle. But he didn't have any powers. Danny and Sam had a psychic connection. It was kind of like a two-man Ghostbuster team thing plus an owl. And since I like being unique, I'm gonna write a story about it. I suppose it would fall under the category of an AU type story, but not really, since it was the original idea but it just got deleted since the Harry Potter first movie was coming out at the time and Butch Hartman knew that when people think of "pet owl" their minds go to Harry Potter so thus it was not a good idea.

But I think it is.

Prepare for the strange adventure of…._Danny Phantom_…the 100% HUMAN ghost hunter…..who's really hot.


	2. Chapter 1 - Escaping the clutches

**Danny Phantom Original Concept**

By Nosilla Parvatir & Prenn Cooder

Chapter 1

_This is a FF of the DP original concept. I co-wrote this with ~PrennCooder (the bestest friend in the whole wide world and you should check out her stories! They're amazing. Seriously) _

_tell me what you think of the story!_

"I shoulda known it was you behind this." Brave-faced Daniel Fenton was tied to a chair in a dark room. He was the only person in the room—the only human at the very least. "I know you're out there!" he shouted and his voice echoed throughout the large room. He'd been tied up for hours but he just now woke up. Last thing he knew, he was hot on the trail of a ghost he'd been chasing for a long, long time.

The villain's name was Plasmius. Vlad Plasmius. The name just had that evil ring to it. And the evil one was in the room this very moment. He was observing Danny in his own sadistic way.

Danny was brave and tough but he could not say he wasn't afraid. That would be a lie. Danny thought he could finally capture Plasmius once and for all. But Plasmius had turned the tables round when Danny was least expecting it. Plasmius already had Danny's friend Sam captured in a cage somewhere where she could not escape. Danny knew he'd have to figure his own way outta this. But how? He was only fourteen and he didn't have his gadgets or his motorcycle.

It all came down to a battle of the wits.

"Show yourself!" Danny commanded to the cold thick air of the room. The rom had no doors or windows but only a ceiling that seemed to go on forever. But this didn't intimidate Danny one bit. No.

"Oh, calm down Daniel! You should try being polite for a change!" A man appeared. He had shiny black hair, red eyes, fangs, and a cape. And he had muscles like superman. He was the most in-shape forty-year old Danny had ever seen. Plasmius smiled evilly at Danny.

Danny growled.

"All you have to do is agree to stop hunting me and I'll let you go." Plasmius circled Danny in an eerie flight.

"You know that's not how it works." Danny was still struggling to get out of the ropes though he knew resistance was futile. "Let Sam go."

"No."

"She's never done anything to you! She doesn't even hunt ghosts!"

"Hmm. You've given me a swell idea." Plasmius grinned more evilly now, if that were even possible. "Be back in a jiffy." He faded out of the room.

"Wait! No!" Danny screamed. But Plasmius was gone. Gone-gone. Danny was worried for Sam Manson; his most trusted above all friends. She was always there for him. She cared about him. He always thought she understood him better than anyone else ever could. Maybe that was because they were born with a psychic connection to each other. It was a phenomena of the paranormal that had yet to be explained. In fact, large portions of Danny's life were mysteries to him. He never knew his parents. He and Sam had been raised by her parents—the obnoxiously wealthy Mansons.

Danny and Sam shared a common interest when it came to the paranormal. As a child, Danny was always fascinated by ghosts, until he found out they were evil. And that's when he made up his mind to hunt them.

Sam was a goth, so "weird and freaky" were some words she lived by. She and Danny could always talk to each other without speaking. It was kind of strange. They never told anyone about it except for Danny's pet owl, Spooky. Danny told Spooky everything. He took Spooky everywhere. Except for today.

Earlier today, Danny had been stalking his immortal enemy Vlad Plasmius. Danny let his pride get in the way of his thinking. He honestly thought he was way ahead of the game. But then he was knocked unconscious. He found himself here. He wished it was only a nightmare that he could wake up from. No, it was more than that.

Danny knew all along he had it coming. Eventually one of them would win. Danny had always imagined victory being his. He wanted to be the hero. He wanted respect. Plasmius had always been around to ruin everything for Danny.

It was Plasmius who scared Danny's friend Tucker away. It was Plasmius who chased Danny's girlfriend Paulina away. It was Plasmius who might have killed Danny's parents. And now it was Plasmius who had captured Danny and his best friend Sam. For a moment Danny was about to give up. He was all alone here. He couldn't communicate with Sam. She was always there to give him advice. _Always_. What had Plasmius done with her? Had he killed her? He couldn't have. He shouldn't.

Plasmius appeared. "I'm back!" He said happily. "Did you miss me? I just gave your friend a little visit. And no, you won't be able to talk to her in your freaky-little mind. I can't have you doubling up on me, now can I? Of course not! That's why you're going to tell me where your parents are! Now! Here! Where there's no one around to release you from my mansion."

Danny wanted to ignore Vlad, but at the mention of the word "parents", Danny's head shot up. "My parents? They're alive?"

"Oh don't play that game with me Daniel. Of course they're alive! They're the only viable threat to ghosts around here."

Danny smiled. Vlad had just given him legit information. Vlad was helping Danny without even knowing it.

Vlad regretted what he said. He knew he couldn't take it back. He glared at Danny with piercing eyes, awaiting a reply.

It was almost as if Vlad could hear Danny's silent reaction. Danny was very good at these mind games. Games of wits and smarts. Since he had no powers, his brains was the only way he could ever hope to outsmart the enemy.

Danny won't give up just yet. Maybe this fight is worth seeing it through till the end. Danny was thrilled at the thought that he might be able to learn more about his parents. Vlad said they were ghost hunters. And good ones too. It's funny how the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Vlad paced around the room, if you could call it that. He was floating actually. More like drifting. He was deep in thought. His evil brain was working hard trying to decipher a way to trick Danny into doing his evil bidding. Vlad knew Danny was smart. He couldn't underestimate Danny. But going in the other direction was not good either. Vlad would have to make an educated guess at how smart the boy really was. If Vlad was wrong, it would only take him a short matter of time to correct his mistake.

Vlad faced the boy. Danny looked up at him. Vlad judged Danny harshly before ultimately making a decision. "Since you don't know about your parents, I'm afraid I'll have to let you go since it's not you I'm after." Vlad pulled out a remote from his pocket and pressed a red button, which released Danny's ties. Danny stretched his arms. They were sore because they'd been sitting there for too long. "But don't you go looking for your parents. They know nothing about you." Vlad knew exactly what Danny was planning to do. First Danny was going to make an attempt to find his friend the goth girl and then Danny was going to track Vlad until either one of them found Danny's parents. Vlad couldn't risk Danny snooping though the large mansion, so Vlad just brought the girl to Danny.

Danny stood up and gave his friend a hug. "Are you allright?" He asked her.

She hugged him back. "Yeah, yeah, sure. How about you? You don't look so well."

"That's not a big surprise." Danny said in his mind.

"I know." She said back to him. They were both relieved to be back in communication again. Sam turned to Plasmius. "So are you going to let us go now?" She said out loud. The large ghost stared down at her with an expression cold as ice.

"Yes, of course, you're free. But if you ever cross paths with me again, Danny Fenton, I won't be as forgiving."

"Call me Danny _Phantom_."

"Isn't that cute? You've come up with an alter-ego name for yourself as if you were a super hero. Well, you're not. You're just a normal kid in the normal town of Amity Park. I suggest you forget about ghosts for the good of yourself, your friend, and your town. Actually, it came out as more of a warning." Vlad pulled out a spray can from his pocket and prepared to release some sort of gas.

"What's that do?" Danny and Sam asked together.

"You'll see. I can't just fly you out of here and let you discover the location to my secret mansion, now can I? I'm smarter than you think, Daniel. I suggest you watch your back." Vlad held down the release and green gas filled the room.

Danny and Sam held hands as a form of comfort but that didn't prevent them from coughing heavily and eventually falling to the ground. They were unconscious. Vlad took one of each of their arms and phased them through the dark grey colorless wall. Vlad flew them out of his mansion and back to Amity Park where he dropped them at the Manson doorstep. Before leaving, Vlad doused them in some spray that allowed them to regain their consciousness. By the time the two teens opened their eyes, Vlad was gone.

Danny and Sam had extreme headaches. They recognized their house. Danny pulled out a key from his wallet and unlocked the front door. He called Mr. and Mrs. Manson his "parents" because they were the only parents he had ever known. They were going about their normal business. Mom was sewing in her sewing room and dad was reading the newspaper.

Sam followed Danny into the long hallway. Danny went into his bedroom and returned shortly thereafter, carrying Spooky on his arm. Danny didn't say a word. Sam followed him down to the garage.

"Oh shoot! My motorcycle is still where I left it!" Danny turned to Sam. "We're going to have to walk to the corner where I last saw it."

"I know exactly what you're thinking. But are you sure it's wise to bring Spooky with us?" Sam went back inside and prepared a backpack and her laptop.

Danny went upstairs to gather some gadgets from his room. "He might be able to help." That was the best part of Sam and Danny's psychic connection—they could communicate from far expanses. They met at the base of the stairs.

"We're going out for a bit, dad!" They hollered together and then headed out the door.

The two teens walked up the city street. They both had their backpacks. They were dressed for action. They seemed ready to handle anything, though one can never be too prepared. But _two_ can. Two and an owl, that is. Spooky flew just a few feet behind them as they began their journey into the adventure.

_Do you like? Comment! And I'm open to helpful suggestions._


	3. Chapter 2 - For her sake

Danny Phantom's Original Concept

By Nosilla

Chapter 2

_**((Below here is the ORIGINAL UNUSED THEME LYRICS as seen on .**_

_**And here's the link to the video which I found .com/watch?v=CZuBiIuwjSI&feature=related**_

_**Both of which I did not make))**_

_**He's a Phantom, Danny Phantom Phantom Phantom...  
>A kid who's life was changed<br>Molecules rearranged  
>Ghosts are so deranged<br>He's gonna catch em all cuz he's Danny Phantom  
>Those spooks down stand a chance<br>Senses all enhance  
>Power so advanced<br>He's gonna catch em all cuz he's Danny Phantom  
>Unleashing all of the freaks<br>Until his whole town screams  
>Now everyone he'll beat<br>Flying right through the walls  
>You can't see him at all<br>If they are big or small or tall  
>He's gonna catch em all cuz he's Danny Phantom<br>He's gonna catch em all cuz he's Danny Phantom  
>He's gonna catch em all cuz he's Danny Phantom<strong>_

Danny and Sam rounded the street corner just a half-mile past the Nasty Burger. That's the alley where Danny's motorcycle had remained. Danny and Sam were relieved to see that it was still intact and not stolen or broken. Danny started the engine and Sam came aboard, holding onto Danny's back.

This was no ordinary motorcycle. Danny took it from a ghost he had captured named Johnny. This motorcycle had a fancy green paint job and it looked like flames. The motorcycle could also fly when high on fuel, which came in handy on a day like today. "Aw poop, its way low on fuel!" Danny said. "Oh well." He began to drive and Spooky followed them from the air.

The pair of teens enjoyed the adventurous humming sound of the motorcycle. They loved the risk of danger. They loved the thrill. Danny pulled out a transmitter that could tune in on a ghost's ecto-signature.

"There's a large spectral mass about…ten miles north of here. I can't get details yet because we're too far away." Danny groaned. "We'll never make it at this pace. We've gotta fill the fuel tank somehow but I don't see s ghost portal anywhere around here." Most of the time when Danny and Sam talked to each other, they talked telepathically not out loud.

"Why can't we just use regular fuel?"

"It won't _fly_ unless it has ectoplasmic fuel." Danny said. He made a sharp turn towards this city house in the middle of the street. This was no random homestead, though it was quite deserted. On the outside, it looked just like its neighboring houses. Deep below the ground in this house was a ghost portal. All Danny had to do was change the ecto filter and use the remains as fuel for his motorcycle. "BRB." Danny said to Sam. He went into the unlocked house while Sam sat there on the motorcycle. Spooky perched next to her and he took a much-needed nap.

A red-hatted young man was walking down the street in the opposite direction of Sam. He did not see her, but she saw him. "Hey!" She called, but he did not seem to hear. "Hey you! Tucker! Tucker Foley!" She said louder and more forcefully. She was completely prepared to leave that motorcycle if he would not come. She stood up and took a few steps forward to follow him. Her black combat boots squeaked beneath her feet on the damp concrete street. All of a sudden, he turned around and saw her there. She backed away because she was standing a little too close to him. "Hi." She said quietly.

No wonder Tucker didn't hear her—he was focused on his technological pride: he called it a PDA. "Hi Sam." He put his PDA in his backpack. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you since—"

"Since you met Vlad." She finished his sentence.

Tucker nodded.

"Well, you remember Danny, right?"

Tucker nodded again. "_Of course_ I remember him."

"Well, he's in trouble. Remember that day when the three of us promised to always be friends? I know you broke that promise a long time ago, but we need you. Danny's in trouble. He won't admit it but he needs help. _Your_ help."

Tucker looked away. "Where is he?" He asked nonchalantly.

So it "He's going to get fuel for his motorcycle it can fly." Sam pointed at the motorcycle with Spooky on the handlebars.

Tucker nodded and then turned back around and resumed his previous course.

"Tucker! Wait!" Sam caught up with him and matched his pace. "You've just gotta come!"

Tucker shook his head. "That motorcycle is a ghost disaster waiting to happen."

"Please!" Sam stood in front of Tucker and he stopped.

"Allright. I'll come. But only because you asked me to."

Sam sighed in relief. The two of them walked back to the motorcycle. They leaned on it casually and waited for Danny to come out. Spooky woke up and began to scan the area. Sam let him sit on her shoulder.

A few minutes later, Danny came out with a gallon of fuel. He opened the hatch and poured the glowing green fuel into the motorcycle. Tucker raised one eyebrow. "Aren't you surprised that I'm here? That I'm coming with you?"

Danny shook his head. He really wasn't surprised at all. He tossed the gallon into a nearby garbage can and hopped onto the motorcycle. He started the engine. Sam put Spooky into her backpack so they wouldn't lose him. He was used to this. He probably went right back to his nap.

Sam got on the motorcycle next, leaving a very small space for Tucker.

"Aw man!" Tucker groaned. He held on tight to Sam's waist so he wouldn't fall off. Sam put her hair in a ponytail so it wouldn't flap around in the wind.

Danny revved the engines. He pressed a sequence of buttons and the flames on the side lit up. Neon. Sweet. The exhaust spurted a small cloud of green smoke and it started to take off. Northbound into the misty shroud of city air they flew. The streets were dark except for the morning streetlights that radiated a dim yellow. The town was poor enough already without some ghosts terrorizing it. This was Danny's determination. And it will become his motivation.

Danny still wasn't very good at steering this thing. When they flew, the motorcycle and its passengers glowed green. It was eerie, but in a cool way.

The flight was bumpy, unsteady, and compiled of a series of sudden swerves and wavering according to the windshield and heat. It was really chilly up here actually. Danny tried to maintain a steady 100 feet above ground, more or less.

The faster they flew, the tighter Sam hugged Danny's waist. Tucker squeezed Sam's waist to the point where she was starting to choke.

"Isn't it time we start looking for Vlad?" Sam asked.

Danny nodded.

Sam got out a gadget from her backpack. She turned it on. It made an annoying beeping noise. With her free hand, Sam commanded it to scan the area for ghosts. "Aw there are about 500 ghosts within the area! We're never going to single out Vlad!"

"He probably planned it." Danny replied calmly. He hadn't expected Vlad to let himself be found so easily.

"500? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration!" Tucker was staring to freak out.

"Calm down, Tucker! Can't you see there's a lot?" Sam put the screen in his face and he recoiled. He whimpered as he almost fell off the motorcycle.

"We've gotta focus, guys. Now, Sam, tell me where the highest concentration of spectral activity is. That's probably where Vlad will be—because he's trying to camouflage himself so we won't find him." Danny said.

"Maybe that's what he wants us to think." Said Tucker. "What if he's somewhere else?"

"That's exactly why he'll go for the obvious. He knew we'd expect him to be smarter than that, but really he is being smarter by choosing what we would take for granted." Danny said.

"Huh?" asked Tucker confused.

"That's why he's in charge." Sam reminded her friends.

"Look over there." Danny said.

Sam and Tucker groaned. Up ahead of them were a multitude of ghosts entering an old theater.

"You know he's going to stop and help, right?" Sam looked at Tucker.

"Danny, don't." Tucker advised.

"I have to." Danny said, determined. "There are probably a lot of people in that theater. And I have the power to help, so why shouldn't I?"

He landed the motorcycle in front of the theater.


	4. Chapter 3 part 1 - The theater

**Chapter 3**

***telepathy now in italics* **

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. This is part one of chapter 3. There will be two parts. Plz leave me a comment with what you think of my story. Thank you all! (:**

"_If you're not going to come in and help, then wait here_." Danny said seriously. He went into the theater with a weapon in his arm.

Tucker started to follow him, but Sam held him back.

"Didn't you hear what he just said?" Sam said.

"No."

"Right. I forgot. He doesn't always say things out loud anymore." Sam said. She leaned back against the motorcycle and folded her arms. She looked like a tough biker chick.

"So…are you and he—"

"No, it's not like that."

"How did you know what I was going to say?" Tucker asked, trying to hide that he was slightly impressed.

"Just a hunch." Sam said confidently.

Danny barged inside the theater expecting to see ghosts terrorizing the citizens. But instead, all was quiet. The townspeople of Amity Park were watching their movies as if ghosts were the farthest thing from their minds. All Danny could hear were the voices coming from the cinema screens. There was nobody in the hallway. They were all watching.

Danny looked around slowly. He didn't believe that the ghosts had just taken a wrong turn and left. They had to be here, somewhere. And they weren't necessarily going to be visible.

Danny jumped as a cold slimy arm strangled him. He only had a millisecond to reach for his blaster to shoot the green monster that was trying to kill him. Danny ended up prying himself free with his knife. But the green blob ghosts were everywhere now. "This reeks of Vlad." Danny said to himself. He shot them down and ran into the theater rooms telling everybody to evacuate. They listened, and Danny felt good to have saved them just in time.

Until a little blond teen came running up to him. She was in tears. "Danny! Danny, one of those ghosts got away and he took Paulina with him! you can save her, right? She's my best friend!"

"I'll do my best, Star." Danny said reassuringly. He left the building and went over to Sam and Tucker, who were sitting on the motorcycle and playing rock paper scissors out of boredom.

"Well, what happened in there? You look horrible." Tucker said.

Danny, who was still a bit on edge, said, "Star saw Paulina get kidnapped by one of the ghosts in the theater. They must have flown off. This has gotta be Vlad's doing. He knows that Paulina and I used to be together. And he knows she fears and hates all ghosts."

"So you're going after her?" Sam asked.

"There's no visible trail. But if we find Vlad, I'm sure we'll get the answers we are looking for. And now that it's a _human_ we need to find…" Danny said. He pulled sleeping Spooky out of the backpack. "Spooky?"

The bird ruffled his feathers and opened his great yellow eyes.

"Find Paulina." He said.

Spooky flew from his hand and took a leap into the air.

Danny and his friends jumped onto the motorcycle.

"So your pet owl can track people?" Tucker questioned in disbelief.

"Humans only." Danny said.

"Why didn't you just tell him to find your parents ages ago?" Tucker asked.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Spooky can only track humans he's seen and smelled. He's a very special owl. We still don't know how he does it."

Tucker sighed. He squeezed Sam harder as the motorcycle followed Spooky diving into the city and dodging the taller buildings.

"It's not like Vlad to have a lair near the heart of the city." Danny said, confused.

"Maybe he changed it up a bit. You said before that he knows what you expect of him. So he must have done just the opposite of what you're thinking." Tucker pointed out.

"You know, you might just be right." Danny said.


	5. Chapter 3 part 2 - The girl

**Sorry for the long wait. Here is chapter 3 part two**

Spooky squawked and hovered in front of a skyscraper. That's where Danny landed the motorcycle and the trio got off of it.

"Spooky, hush." Sam said.

The bird landed on Danny's shoulder and was quiet except for the occasional hoot. Sam gave Tucker a blaster. She took an old machete for herself. Danny reloaded his own plaster and he put on protective glasses. They looked just like ordinary blue-tinted glasses, but they protected his eyes from ghostly goop. Sam scanned the front of the building for any odd ecto frequency.

"Paulina's gotta be in here. Somewhere." Danny said to himself.

"Danny, there's no signs at all of any ecto activity inside the building." Sam whispered to him. "Vlad must have tied her up and fled the scene."

Tucker scoffed. "He's such a coward."

Danny and his friends were very careful to not make a sound as they crept cross the first floor of the building. All the lights were dark. It was almost as if the place had been deserted, but there were still piles and piles of papers on desks and trash cans were full and the memo board was caked with little stickynotes of squibble-squabble writing.

There was no sound of activity within hearing range except for the air conditioning pumping through the hollow metal ducts and the hot whooshing sound of something coming up…or down.

"What's that high-pitched sound? " Tucker covered his ears. "It's coming from the elevator."

"Oh no." Danny and Sam said together. "_It's falling_."

"Quick. We have to get to the roof. I have an idea." Danny said.

"Should I stay here and look for Paulina?" Tucker asked them seriously.

Sam face palmed. "Come on!" She pulled Tucker along as the three of them climbed to the roof as quickly as humanly possible.

"There are hundreds of floors! We'll never make it in time!" Said Tucker who was huffing and puffing.

"Then floor 3 will have to do." Danny said. He and his friends jotted over to the elevator. With a one jab from her ecto-scanner, the elevator's fuse box opened. "Every floor has a cord." Danny said. He pulled it out with little difficulty. "The elevator hasn't passed this floor yet."

Sam busted one of the glass windows on one of the doors. Danny and Tucker pulled the heavy cord out and tied it around the door several times. It took the strength of all three of them to tie a make-do knot.

"Listen. The elevator's about to reach this floor. Hear the noise getting louder?" Danny cupped his hands over his ears. "It's coming."

The force of the elevator falling and the cord putting up resistance made a screech that echoed throughout the entire open building. It was undoubtedly heard by the neighbors. Tucker, who was standing in front of the cord, didn't react fast enough to move out of the way when the door was wrapped off its hinges and snapped into the elevator shaft like a toothpick. Sam pulled him out of the way just in time.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked concernedly.

Tucker, who was full of adrenaline and shaking in his boots, replied, "Ye-yeah I think so." And he tried to keep his cool the best that he could.

Danny rolled his eyes because he knew what Sam was thinking. Sam looked down.

"_Tucker? Really?_" Danny said in his mind.

"_Really_." Sam argued.

"Now that the elevator's landed, we should go check and see if Paulina's okay." Danny said out loud.

"Wait. Paulina was in there?" Tucker started to panic.

"_Really, Sam? Really?_" Danny was just double-checking.

"Really." She assured him with a healthy pat on Tucker's shoulder.

Spooky squawked as he flew down the stairs ahead of them. He landed near the elevator. Danny, Tucker and Sam tried to pry the door open using their scanners and other equipment. Once they forced the doors open, they could see the shaft was still two floors down.

"Hmm. There must be a basement." Tucker said. "How are we going to get there?"

Danny started to feel the wall of the shaft for a pipe or duct to grab onto. There was only one, and it was all rusty and very small. "Only one of us will be able to go down there. The stairs can't go any further. So this is the only way down. Paulina's _gotta_ be in there. She just has to. All of this just reeks of Vlad."


	6. Chapter 4 part 1 - Inward emotions

**I'm doing another 2-part chapter because i really am struggling with writer's block on this story. I know it's good and has a lot of potential, but I just want to make sure that every chapter is one that I'm content with. I hope you like it!**

**Chapter 4 part 1**

Danny climbed down regardless of the fact that the rusty duct he was holding could snap at any given time. He was fearless. Now, all that mattered was saving Paulina. If she was even still _alive_.

With one strong kick, Danny dented the top of the elevator shaft and jumped in. Sure enough, Paulina was bound and gagged. She was lying unconscious and sideways on the floor. Danny untied her. Her right arm and leg seemed to be broken and limp. Danny knew he'd have to carry her out of the shaft, but there was no possible way for him to carry her up the duct with it as weak as it is.

She'd have to wake up and climb out herself.

"Paulina? Paulina?" He gently shook her. Danny felt her cheeks. Her heart was beating and her lungs were breathing. Blood was flowing properly because her body was warm. "You have to open your eyes." Danny was starting to get worried.

"Hey!" It was Tucker's cheerful voice calling from up above. "You've got her!" Spooky squawked from above, seemingly in agreement to the happy mood.

"Don't get too happy yet. She won't wake up." Danny said from below. "If she doesn't wake up soon, I'm going to need your help. You might have to come down here and help me carry her up and hope the duct doesn't break."

"Oooohhh nooo, Fenton. I'm not coming." Tucker crossed his arms defiantly.

Danny sighed. "_Please wake up. Please_." He looked at Paulina's little rosy cheeks and ran his cols hand through her long, wavy black hair.

"_Ugh. I can hear you, ya know_." Sam said telepathically.

Danny gasped out loud. "_Hey, this is personal_."

"_I know_."

"_And I know you can't stand Paulina, and you'd rather have me just leave her here_."

"_Pretty much_." Sam was being smug now.

"_Well, you're not going to get what you want_." Danny picked up the unconscious Paulina. "Tucker! Do we have anything we can use as a rope of sorts?" He hollered up the empty shaft to his friend.

"I…don't see anything." Tucker took a quick look around.

Danny sighed. "Then I don't suppose you're going to come down here and help. Are you?"

"Nope."

"Just staying there?"

"Yup."

Danny sighed, and reluctantly he began to climb the duct. He made it almost halfway. It was no surprise when the creaking started to increase. Eventually the duct snapped in half completely. Were it not for Tucker and Sam, who grabbed Danny's hand just in time, both Danny and Paulina would have fallen to their untimely deaths.

Danny had his right arm wrapped around Paulina and his left arm was slowly being pulled out of the shaft by Tucker and Sam. Neither of them were very strong, so this was a long, painful excursion for everybody except Spooky.

Once everybody was on safe, solid ground, Danny gently laid Paulina on a chair and relaxed himself on one also.

"So what's the next step, captain?" Tucker stood in front of his exhausted friend.

Danny was too tired to scold Tucker for not coming down there, so he just rolled his eyes at him.

Sam frowned at the sleeping Paulina. "So…we're just going to sit here and do nothing until she wakes up?"

"Pretty much." Now it was Danny's turn to be smug.

Sam growled out of frustration. All she could do now was sit on a chair and wait—something she was never real good at. Spooky landed on Paulina and squeaked softly in her ear, trying to help. Eventually he just gave up and fell asleep on top of her head.

Tucker paced around and looked for a vending machine to get some snacks to eat.

That left Danny and Sam alone in the room.

"Danny?" She turned towards him.

His eyes were closed. "Hm?"

"Why did you fall in love with my arch enemy?" She asked spitefully.

"Why do you hate her so much?"

"…"

"I'd be okay with whoever _you_ fell in love with. So why is it hard for you to be allright with _mine_?"

Sam frowned. "The guy I like, well, he's smarter than he looks."

"Great."

"He's got this really soft black hair…"

"Okay."

"And, he's really, really just an all-around cool guy."

"…Cool." Danny's eyes were still closed. "I'm glad you're happy."

Sam knew there was nothing more to say to this.

Of course this was the perfect time for Paulina to be stirring. "Danny?" She rubbed her tired eyes with her left hand and shrieked in pain because of her broken limbs.

Danny snapped up to his feet and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Paulina? Paulina, it's going to be allright. You're going to be fine, I promise."


	7. Chapter 4 part 2 - Not what you expected

**Sorry for the long wait! Here is the second part of chapter 4. I haven't neglected this story, I hope you don't think that. I've just had a busy summer, that is all. Tell meh Whatcha think! There's a severe fluff warning here! ~Nosilla **

"Danny? Danny Fenton?" She blinked a few times to make sure she was seeing correctly. Her vision was fuzzy, as if she had been drugged. And her speech was slurring everywhere. "What are we doing? What's going on here? Did something happen—the elevator—this man, he made me swallow a pill…"

Spooky flew away, startled, and landed on Danny's shoulder.

Danny helped Paulina to stand up carefully. He blushed a little as she squeezed his arm for support. Her hands were so soft, so warm, and they gripped hard.

Paulina's bluegreen eyes scanned the room. They landed on Sam. Sam was wearing the mother of all poker faces. "Ugh." Paulina said, disgusted.

Sam growled.

Spooky squawked in response to the tension in the air.

Paulina hissed back at Sam, surprising everyone including herself. She wobbled backwards, ready to fall down, but Danny caught her. "I've got you." He said with a smile.

Paulina managed a weak smile as Danny gently laid her down across a few chairs so she wouldn't have to waist her energy standing. Danny wanted to go see what was taking Tucker so long, but Paulina wouldn't let go of his hand. So he stayed with her.

"Ugh. _I'll_ go check on him." Sam volunteered. _"You're really pushing it, Danny."_ She said to him in her mind. _"She isn't worth it. Trust me."_

"_You're right a lot of the time, Sam, but I think in this case you might be wrong."_ He said in his mind.

Sam returned shortly thereafter followed by Tucker, who was carrying a large heaping load of vending machine goodies varying from Reese's Cups to Pringles.

"So what's the plan, bro?" Tucker asked Danny through a mouthful of chips. "What do we do next?"

Sam rolled her eyes.

Danny turned to Paulina. Tucker and Sam gathered around her. "Paulina? We need you to remember everything you can. Anything and everything. What were you starting to say a few minutes ago? There was a man, and then what?"

"Yes, there was a man. He had icy blue skin the color of frostbite. And his eyes were demonic, wild, and red. He spoke to me as if he knew me. I asked him why he was targeting me, and he…"

"Definitely Vlad." Danny whispered to himself.

"…His hands were glowing with some weird energy. He threatened to strangle me if I did not swallow the pill. It made me all hazy. Suddenly I couldn't stand up. I still feel a bit dizzy. Like my head's swollen or something." Paulina rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache.

"And you're okay now?" Danny put a caring arm around her.

Sam scoffed.

"I'll be allright." Paulina said. She finally started to notice the interest he had taken in her. Paulina looked at the strong hand he had put around her. She wasn't stupid. Putting two and two together was the easy part. Taking a leap of faith and accepting the consequences was the hard part. And it was always the part Paulina managed to skip out on. "Thank you for saving me." She said earnestly as she stared into those blue eyes. She had to look away quickly, or else she would have gotten lost in them again. And once you're lost, it is very hard to find your way back out.

Paulina stood up, intending to walk back to the theater where she had left her car. She was halfway to the door already.

Danny stood, frozen in time. He was distracted by Tuckers carnivorous chewing. Danny could no longer think. He wanted so badly to get priorities in line, but dragging Paulina further along in this game of wits was probably a really bad idea.

"_Listen to your heart, Danny. It's a horrible idea and you know it."_ Sam said in her mind.

"_My heart? My heart is telling me…"_ Danny impulsively made a break for it. He stopped Paulina from going out of the door.

"Danny?"

Tucker and Sam trotted over, Spooky hovering nearby.

"I'm not going to make the same mistake twice." Danny said, holding Paulina's hands now. "I'm not going to let Vlad have his way. I'm not going to lose you." Danny kissed Paulina on the lips. She struggled at first, but then decided to give in and let him kiss her.

Tucker seemed surprised enough, but approved of his friend's advancements.

Sam was fuming, and Spooky could tell.


	8. Chapter 5 - Improv

**No more 2-part chappies! Here is the FULL chapter five! Tell meh what you think! Enjoy!**

***I changed their ages to 16 so that they could drive. Ignore in the first chapter when I say Danny is 14**

Chapter 5

Danny and Paulina just stared at each other for moments. What a blast.

Paulina felt he owed her an explanation.

"I'm sorry." Danny looked down at his scuffed up black tennis shoes. He was ladened with guilt. As if the pressure of life wasn't enough already!

"Don't be." Paulina hugged him tightly. "I've missed you. You don't know how often I've stopped myself from giving you a call or a text."

Tucker didn't blink, enthralled with the romance. He had a weak spot for chick flicks, and Danny and Paulina's love confession reminded him dearly of home. To snap him out of it, Sam slapped him on the back.

"What was stopping you?" Danny stroked Paulina's perfect, wavy black hair.

"The man that kidnapped me here today, I've seen him before. He told me to stay away from you. He told me he'd kill you if I didn't stay away. He told me you'd gotten involved in some really dark things. That was the final straw."

"I can't say it isn't true. I _am_ involved in some pretty shady stuff. That man—his name is Vlad by the way—is responsible for the death of many people. Up until recently, I had believed him to be responsible for the death of my parents. He was almost responsible for your death and Sam's as well."

Danny and Paulina slowly walked outside, followed by Sam and Tucker.

"But now, you're definitely involved, Paulina." Danny said to her. Spooky perched on Paulina's right shoulder. Paulina petted the bird and he cooed.

Danny felt his face turn to stone when he looked out on the empty street.

"Oh sh—!" Tucker exclaimed.

Sam noticed. "WHAT THE FREAKING—!"

"You've gotta be kidding me." Danny rubbed his aching forehead. His motorcycle was gone. Stolen. Undoubtedly by Vlad.

"Don't worry! I have an idea." Paulina said.

Next thing they knew, the four of them were standing in front of a pink mini-cooper.

"Are you serious right now?" Sam asked gothically.

"It was a sixteenth birthday present from my mama." Paulina said with slightness of pride.

Sam scoffed loudly.

"You can just stay here if you want, Sam, you don't have to come with us." Paulina got into the driver's seat. Danny took shotgun. Tucker got in the back.

"You comin, Sam?" Tucker asked.

Paulina started the engines and the car started to hum. Sam jumped in at the very last second before the vehicle broke into a flash of speed as they exited the deserted theater parking lot.

"We're going awfully fast for a mini-cooper, don't ya think?" Asked Tucker, who was holding onto a handle to balance himself.

Paulina smiled slyly. She stopped the car once they parked a few miles away. She lifted up the coffee cup that was in the cupholder and pressed a button. She handed Danny the coffee.

The pink mini-cooper, complete with the Hello Kitty dice hanging off the mirror, transfigured into a weapons arsenal. Danny seemed pleasantly surprised. Tucker was so astounded that the candy he was chewing flew straight out of his mouth and landed in the coffee.

Spooky squawked violently around in the car. He was scared. Sam took a few feathers to the mouth. Spooky took quite a while to settle down. Tucker could've sworn Sam was trying to tackle the bird.

"I never told you what my parents do for a living." Paulina smiled at Danny. Danny reflected the intensity of the moment. "The government hired them to build weapons and force fields and explosives and all that. They're both into pyrotechnics. As for me, ballet says it all. Although at night, I watch all kinds of martial artists in movies and whatnot. I've never breathed a word of this to my parents, but I know how to use all their stuff."

Danny laughed. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Paulina giggled like a schoolgirl.

"Ahem. Excuse me, kids, but we have a ghost vampire on the loose. I dunno if you knew that, but we probably should start tracking him…" Sam said in a cocky tone.

"Way to ruin the fun." Paulina said to Sam, who smiled slightly.

"Sam's right. We need to get serious." Tucker shoved the last of the Doritos into his mouth and pitched the bag out the window.

"Litterbug." Paulina criticized.

Tucker shrugged.

"I don't think I have anything to track him. What I _do_ happen to have is every weapon from A to Z." Paulina said. She opened the glove compartment and pulled out an encyclopedia written by someone whose last name was Sanchez. "Take a look." She heaped it onto Danny's lap.

Danny skimmed through.

Sam and Tucker geared up in grenades, guns, knives, anti-ghost rope, and all sorts of things. Sam found the compartment where the Walkie-Talkies were stored, and she pulled them out. There were only three. Sam took one for herself and handed another to Danny.

"How are we going to split this up?" Sam asked Danny. "You're still the boss."

"I know I am."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Just tell me already."

"Try being nice. We're all allies here." Danny handed the third Walkie-Talkie to Paulina. Danny took Sam's and handed it to Tucker.

"Ugh, that is so not cool." Sam said, annoyed.

"_But you and I have this way of communicating, remember?" _Danny said in his mind.

"_No comment."_ Was Sam's reply. She bit her lip and tasted the blood.

Paulina started to dress Danny in weapons and other forms of defense like a portable ghost shield and whatnot.

"_What is your problem, Sam? I don't get it. What aren't you telling me? I thought we agreed long ago never to hide secrets from each other."_

Sam looked downward.

Paulina interrupted Danny's train of thought by taking the coffee out of his hands. She pulled out a glowing green vial from the glove compartment and added it to the coffee, giving it an almost whispy steamy white glow as the chemicals mixed.

"So what, you're a chemist now?" Tucker asked, intrigued.

"This green stuff is called Ectoranium. I smuggled it out of my parents' lab. It's been sitting in here for months. And now I think I've finally found a good use for it. If only I had drunken it before your Vlad kidnapped me…"

"What's so special about it? It looks like toxic poop." Tucker commented.

"It's a unique element found in outer space that ghosts can't touch. If they come in contact with it, it reacts badly with their neurons…something like that…I don't remember everything my parents said. But if we all take a sip, it _should_ protect us from Vlad for the time being." Paulina took the first sip, and then passed the cup to Danny.

The coffee cup was passed around until it had all been drunken up.

"I feel…weird." Sam said. Her stomach kept gurgling and bubbling.

Danny's stomach started to churn as well. "Ohhh." He groaned. "Paulina, did anything like this ever happen to you?"

"No." Paulina looked worried.

Everybody turned to Tucker. "What? I have an iron stomach." He said conceitedly.

"It's a little strong, I suppose. Took me a few hours to get used to it." Paulina said.

"Wait a minute now. Why would _you_ ever need to drink this anyway? When could a ghost possibly be after _you_? You're just an ordinary girl…" Sam said.

Paulina sighed, thinking it best to ignore Sam's insult. "It was five months ago. I was sitting on the front porch, tanning in my bathing suit of course. I was wearing my sunglasses and my favorite pink spotted bikini."

"Danny stop drooling." Sam said aloud.

Danny elbowed her.

"And I was about to take a sip of my grape juice when I heard the sound of something large hit the ground and shatter. It sounded like glass. Of course, at the sound of that I twitched, and juice ran all the way down my bare body. It was really sticky and really gross. I don't recommend it. Anyways, it was only natural for me to wanna investigate. So I went downstairs into their lab. The thin, runny green goo was all over the floor. My parents were nowhere in sight, so I decided to take initiative. I took a glass vial from the cabinet and filled it with goo. I made it out of the room only seconds before my parents came back. I heard their strange rubbery footsteps and I peeped around the corner. They were wearing hazmat suits as they carefully vacuumed this stuff up. They were very upset at the waste, because I heard them talking earlier that day about how effective this stuff was when it came down to repelling ghosts and such."

"_Jealous much?"_ Danny said to Sam in his mind.

"Pfft." Sam said aloud.

"You take me for a liar." Paulina stated. "I know you don't like me, but you're just going to have to trust me, Sam."

"Whatever."

"So what's the plan?" Paulina looked to Danny. She had complete faith in him.

"Um, this is going to sound stupid." Danny looked at each and every one of them to reiterate the seriousness of the mood. "But, Paulina, I'm going to need you to be bait. I know Vlad, and one of the things he hates the most is when he fails. If he sees you, flailing your arms around boasting that you got out alive, he won't be able to resist showing his ugly face. And that's when we target him."

"Nice." Tucker said.


	9. Chapter 6 - Creepy companion

**Read and review, please! This is the first chapter I have written completely by myself without the help or beta-ing of my friend Prenn (aka Leonardo DiCaprio here on fanfiction). So do you think my writing skill has improved since the beginning of this story? **

Chapter 6

Paulina got out of the car. She was doing everything she could to attract attention—from walking sexily to waving at strangers. She greeted everyone she passed with a perky "Hello."

Some guys said, "Hello." Back and then they scanned over her body with their eyes. Paulina flipped her hair. She squinted as she spotted a very special boy. Someone she met once or twice as s child.

"I don't get it. Vlad's gotta know we saved her." Danny said to Sam and Tucker, who were still in the car.

"Maybe he's just waiting for the right moment to strike." Sam said. "Speaking of the moment, Danny, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for the longest time…"

"Hold that thought for a minute, Sam. Danny, who's that guy?" Tucker was pointing to an older teen dressed in all black. The guy looked stoic and serious. He was talking to Paulina and shook her hand. This couldn't just be some random stranger she ran into. He had to be someone she had met before. Danny got a cold chill. The guy was looking around suspiciously while Paulina was talking to him.

She was probably rambling on about something unimportant like lip gloss or money, but Danny wasn't going to take any chances when it came to Paulina. And so he accelerated the car into speed and pulled up right next to the curb. Paulina seemed to know the young man, who by the way had a serious face, dark sunglasses and snow white hair. Paulina signaled Danny to roll down the window. "Who are you?" Danny asked.

"This is an old friend. His name is Elliot, and he claims to know more about Vlad than you do." Paulina said. "For what it's worth, I believe him."

"Get in the car, Elliot." Danny took a chance. He trusted Paulina just as much as he trusted Sam and Tucker. She couldn't be wrong. And even if she was, she'd still be right.

Paulina took the passenger seat and Elliot sat in the back. All the windows rolled up and Paulina turned on the sound filter so that no one outside could hear them. "Elliot's a ghost-hunting agent for CorUPT." Paulina was a bit intimidated to say the name aloud. Very few people could truly identify with the meaning of the word corrupt. "He's on a very special case?"

"What are we talking about here?" asked Tucker conounded. "Secret agents with special cases? Are you nuts?"

Elliot rolled his eyes. "Paulina, they've never heard about CorUPT. How are they supposed to be of any help at all?"

Paulina spattered a few syllables, but no intelligible words.

"That's what I thought. Catcha later, Paulina." Elliot proceeded to open the door.

"No!" Paulina said. "Don't go. Danny, Sam and Tucker are our only hope. Danny knows Vlad. He's fought him before. I've been kidnapped by Vlad…"

"Kidnapped?"

Paulina nodded. "Clearly, Vlad knows we're all involved. And the more of us there are, the stronger we become."

_"That is, if we're all on the same side here."_ Sam said telepathically to Danny. He stared at her for a moment.

_"Why do you have such horrible trust issues?"_ He responded.

Sam shook her head. _"If we ever get that time alone like I talked about, I'll tell you."_

_"You trust me, don't you, Sam?"_

_"Yes."_ She answered without a second thought.

_"And I trust Paulina. Paulina trusts Elliot. You trust me, so you have to trust Paulina and Elliot, allright?" _

Sam frowned. This was all up to a battle of the wills now. Whose will was stronger? Sam wanted Danny to side with her all the time. That couldn't work here. She had to give in. Even if it meant trusting the illustrious, eyelash-batting Paulina and her mysteriously creepy companion.

"This case is very dangerous. If you agree to take on my mission with me, you're agreeing to be accomplices of whatever happens to me. Whether good or bad. There will be no turning back. No opting out because you just don't feel like flinging all of this pressure on yourself." Elliot said. "Working for CorUPT is a life and death commitment."

"And the case—this particular case is very important to CorUPT, and to Amity City." Paulina said. She looked each person in the eye and then she cleared her throat as if she was about to try and recite something from memory. "The case was this: twenty years ago, several adults were working on creating a portal barrier into another dimension called the ghost zone. The project was a success, but only partly. Once it was open it couldn't be closed. That meant evil ghosts could come and go into our world as they pleased, and take over humans, destroy human accomplishments, and wreak general havoc. They needed to be stopped. Thus, CorUPT was born."

Elliot added, "Several of the scientists felt an overwhelming guilt for what they had done and decided to steal the portal back from its display case in the museum. But when they got there, the portal was gone. Stolen by ghosts, no doubt. The other half of the scientists sided with the ghosts. As a thank-you, the ghosts decided to make these scientists half-ghosts. Vlad Masters was the ring-leader of the evil scientists, and probably still is."

Paulina concluded, "The other half, however, are determined to never become corrupt. They have dedicated the rest of their lives to secretly investigating the corruption and putting a stop to it, no matter what it takes."

Tucker's eyes goggled. "Sounds pretty intense."

"No offense, Elliot, but how do we know we can trust you?" Sam judged him.

He pulled out his wallet and showed Danny, Sam, Tucker and Paulina his badge. "Because I'm a legal agent of CorUPT. That's how. This badge was given to me by M. K. F. herself. She's the CEO of CorUPT. She's also the person that I report to if I don't succeed in this mission."

"He's telling the truth, Sam." Paulina insisted. "My parents work for CorUPT, and I intend to work for them once I'm old enough."

"Allright, allright. I suppose working together won't be too difficult a challenge?" Danny looked at each pair of eyes.

"Let's do it!" Tucker rallied.

Sam gave a slight nod.

Paulina started to smile when she saw that spark in Danny's cool blue eyes. "We're a team, then."

"Yes ma'am." Danny smiled. "We're a team."

"A gang of accomplices!" Tucker said.

"Exactly." Elliot agreed.

"If you don't mind, Danny, I'm still going to drive." Paulina said.

She stepped into the front seat before Danny could say, "No problem."

Sam tried her best to make eye-contact with Danny before they took off. _"Danny. Look at me. We have to talk."_

_"If it's so important, why not just tell me right here right now?"_

_"Because I'd rather say it in person."_

Danny sighed. "Just one moment, Paulina. Sam and I need to talk."

"Okay." Paulina shrugged.

Danny and Sam stepped outside and walked around the car. Sam brought him to the back where no one could see them. "Danny…" Her heart was racing, her forehead was becoming sweaty all of a sudden.

"What is it, Sam? What do you want to tell me?" Danny leaned in.

Sam began to cry softly. Danny kissed her on the cheek. Sam's jaw dropped. She was completely and utterly speechless. "Danny…? How did you…?"

"I'm not as clueless as you might think." He said with a flicker of a smile.

**Sorry for the long wait, by the way. More chapters will be coming. Eventually. :P I haven't totally decided on the pairings yet, so just know that nothing is set in stone. Right now i'm leaning towards DxS, while my original intent was DxP and TxS. Oh well. The more I write, the more I think that Danny's natural choice would be Sam. But if I do that, then I can't throw in an EPIC plot device...so comment or PM me if you are interested in debating this with me or giving suggestions. (: Have a nice day!**


	10. Chapter 7 - Expedition

**Hey there! Guess What, I am back to working with Prenn! Yipee! Enjoy this chapter, Danny Phantom fans**

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

Kissing Sam felt weird. Like kissing metal, almost. Just wrong. Not gross, _wrong_. Like kissing a sister, or a cousin. Sam didn't exactly like the way it felt when he kissed her either. They'd never look at each other the same way again. Up until now, their friendship had only ever been platonic. Never once had Danny spared a romantic thought of Sam. Now, the possibility had been eradicated.

"I always thought you were good-looking, Danny. I know I've been more of a sister to you, but when it all comes down to it, I think that you and I…"

"Are _just_ like brother and sister." Danny said with confidence. "Almost as if we were twins or something."

"Exactly!" Sam laughed. "You couldn't be more dead on!"

"Which is why I'm encouraging you to go for it. Go on, date Tucker. Be my guest. I think he's great for you."

"You do?" Sam's heart elevated. "That's great! I've been trying to tell you I really like him for a while now. I just didn't know how to say it, since he is your best friend and all."

Danny nodded. "And Paulina?"

Sam's heart sank. "What about her?"

"I think I'm in love with her. I'm going to ask you to be my girlfriend."

"I don't want to sound like Walt Disney here, but, follow your heart."

"And do whatever it takes, right?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah. Let's go." Danny hopped into the passenger's seat and Sam sat in the back beside Tucker.

"All buckled in?" Paulina asked.

"Yeah." Danny smiled at her.

"All set." Tucker said.

"Go." Elliot said stoically.

Paulina revved the engine. Sam turned to Tucker and took a deep breath. "Tucker…" She smashed her lips against his in a wild and passionate kiss. Elliot raised an eyebrow, but his face remained frozen calmly. Sam relinquished her hold on Tucker and the two of them gasped for air. "…I love you." Sam concluded.

"Wow." Tucker had to take off his glasses because they were fogging up. "Just…wow. Girl, I didn't know you even knew how to kiss, and then you—kiss me again." He pulled her into it this time.

Elliot did his best to look away. Danny and Paulina exchanged giggles. She had one hand on the steering wheel and her other hand wrapped around Danny's. "Paulina, whatever happens, I want you to know that I've always thought of you as my girl. I've got a sister—Sam—a best friend—Tucker—and a girlfriend—you. That is, if you choose to—"

"Danny, I've always thought of you as my guy."

Danny blushed. She squeezed his hand.

"Um, children? I hate to ruin the moment, but look. It's Vlad, and he's on a…motorcycle?!" Elliot was clearly very shocked to see this.

Danny gasped. Spooky started freaking out and pointing with his wing.

"Spooky, settle down!" Sam yelled.

"Spooky, be quiet!" Tucker hushed. "Or Vlad will notice us!"

"He already has." Danny's eyebrow narrowed.

Vlad was on a head on collision course with them.

"Paulina stop the car!" Sam bellowed.

"I can't!" Paulina let go of the wheel; the car was steering itself. Vlad was laughing, and getting closer to them by the second.

"Everybody, we're going to have to jump!" Danny raised his voice. Paulina wrapped her arms around his waist and the two of them pushed open the passenger door. They made it out, but tumbled along the cement and got a few scrapes. Spooky flew out the window and landed safely on Danny's shoulder where he belonged.

Danny put his arm around her and gathered her hair. "Are you okay, Paulina?"

"Yeah." Paulina looked down at her left atm. There was a scrape all the way up the side, and it burned.

"Here, let me help." Danny applied pressure to stop the bleeding.

"Thanks."

Sam and Tucker tumbled out too.

It was Elliot who didn't make it out. He didn't leave because he preferred to stay. He stood on top of the car with some weapon in his hands, aimed at Vlad. Vlad was laughing madly. This couldn't be good.

"Elliot, come down!" Paulina wailed.

"Elliot!" Danny scolded.

Elliot didn't hear them. He blocked them out. The motorcycle and car collided. Elliot fired his weapon several times, but each shot missed because Vlad had disappeared. "Huh?" Elliot fell to the ground. He stood up and started running away from the car and the motorcycle—both were destroyed now, by the way.

"My car!" Paulina mourned.

"And my motorcycle!" Danny frowned. Spooky nuzzled Danny trying to cheer him up. "Spooky, I'm afraid that just won't do it this time." Spooky cooed sadly.

"Danny, are you guys okay?" Tucker's heart was thumping faster than ever before. He and Sam were holding hand tightly as Elliot approached.

"Yeah." Danny answered for both himself and Paulina.

"Where did Vlad go?" Sam asked.

Elliot's face was stern. He slowly and subtly reached into his pocket. Time seemed to speed up, because it all happened so quickly. Elliot pulled out a little plasma blaster and zapped Danny right in the heart. Elliot laughed madly. Like a Vlad laugh, only in a teenage boy voice.

Danny collapsed down on the cement, bleeding rapidly. Paulina screamed. Tucker yelled. Sam punched Elliot in the jaw, and Paulina finished him off with one swift kick to the private area. Elliot fell, and Vlad phased out of him. Paulina and Sam were both trying to stop Danny's bleeding. He was moaning and groaning in pain.

Paulina handed Tucker what looked like a soup thermos. "Hurry!" she said. "Open it and aim it at Vlad."

But Tucker wasn't fast enough. Vlad escaped, but he escaped reluctantly because he didn't have Danny with him. Sam and Tucker both glared down at Elliot, who was in more pain than Danny.

"Lay off, guys. He was under Vlad's control. Give him a break." Paulina said.

"What are we going to do? Danny's a gonner for sure if we don't do something quick!" Tucker exclaimed.

"Believe me, I know." Sam said.

"We just have to keep calm, and…" Paulina didn't finish.

"And everything will be fine?" Tucker looked at her with the tiniest glint of hope in his eye.

Paulina was feeling Danny's chest. The blast went pretty far into him. This injury couldn't heal on its own. In fact, not even a regular doctor could fix it. "We're going to need some special help." Paulina announced. "Elliot," She veered her head towards him, "I'm going to need you to take us to CorUPT."

"You've gotta be kidding me." The adolescent said hoarsely.

"Get up. We're going." Sam said.

"I'm not going to let Danny die like this." Tucker put on a brave face and threw one of Danny's arms over his shoulder. Sam took the other arm, and together they lifted him off the ground.

"Be careful, guys." Paulina said in almost a whisper.

Elliot scrambled to his feet and stood tall once again, though not as confident as before. He led the way through the brisk, windy city streets at a very fast pace. Sam and Tucker were having trouble keeping up, but they weren't about to stop trying any time soon.

"How far is it?" Paulina asked Elliot. "Last time I was there…"

"They changed it." Elliot said coolly.

"What?"

"They changed locations. Remember?"

"Oh yeah." Memories started flooding back to Paulina. Memories of her past visits to CorUPT.

"About 2.4 miles would be my best guess." Elliot replied.

The rest of the walk was silent. Tucker could swear that his feet were starting to grow blisters. They'd only get bigger if he didn't stop to rest. Come to think of it, Danny hadn't said a word in a long time. Tucker double checked Danny's pulse to see if his heart was still beating. Danny was alive, but barely. Blood was pulsing slowly through his veins. He was losing more and more of it every minute.

Finally, an end was put to this. "We're here." Elliot said casually.

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><p><strong>Please comment :3 Prenn and I would love to know what you think of the plot twist (:<strong>


	11. Chapter 8 part 1 - Admission ticket

**Part two will be coming soon :) please leave a comment with your thoughts on the story so far. Gosh, it's been a year since I started this story. I can't believe it! I hope to finish it soon! I've been talking with Prenn (Leonardo DiCaprio on this website) lately and she's very proud of how many views this story has gotten so far. She says it's right up there with some of hers. That made me feel quite ecstatic :D**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8 part 1<strong>

All Sam and Tucker saw was a little shed. The pathetic excuse for a pile of wood was so rotten, it would have collapsed were it not for the tree it was leaning against. "You've gotta be kidding me." Sam mumbled.

"Is that what I think it is?" Tucker's eyes brightened. "That's so cool!"

"Isn't it?" Elliot smiled. "Pure genius, that's what it is." He did a special knock-knock code on the door. "Jazz's genius, that is."

The shed door unlocked and Elliot opened it. They all just barely fit inside. "I'm beginning to think Spooky's claustrophobic." Tucker noted the bird's panicked mood. Something slimy landed on Sam's shoulder and she wiped it on Tucker who started screaming.

"Shut up!" Elliot whispered earnestly. "Pimply Peas." He said.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

"No! I didn't mean—the submergence password is Pimply Peas." Much like an elevator shaft, the floor of the shed sunk down.

"What's happening?" Tucker quivered.

"Don't move a muscle anybody." Elliot commanded. "There's no railing. That's why it's all dark—it's _supposed_ to keep people from panicking."

Tucker laughed nervously.

The light near the bottom of the shaft was growing more intense by the second. They must have sunken through several floors, at _least_ five. "Hurry up." Sam was frightened. "Danny doesn't have much—"

"Will you close your mouth already! We're all well aware of Danny's situation."

Sam was wordless now. Did Paulina really say that or had she imagined it up? Sam didn't think Little Miss Perfect had it in her to be so cold. In a strange sort of way, Sam was proud of Paulina now. She respected her a little more now that another side of her had been exposed.

"Sorry." Paulina said quietly.

Sam sighed. Of course Paulina always had to do "the right thing".

"Danny, hang in there a little while longer, buddy." Tucker said.

Danny groaned painfully.

"We've reached the desired level." Elliot announced. They walked through an archway and found themselves in a great wooden lounge. "Jazz? Where are you? I have a medical emergency here!"

"Agent Elliot, you've returned mighty quickly." A masked doctor marched into the room followed by several technicians in similar green outfits.

"Dr. Gray, where's Jazz?" Elliot asked.

"She's…out." The doctor replied. "Quickly, get this boy to the emergency room!"

"I'm staying with him." Paulina held Danny's hand.

"Let's get walking." The doctor swung a door open. It was a race down the long sweeping hallway until they came to a more convenient area. "Do you mind telling me what you're doing with all these strangers?" Gray whispered angrily.

"Friends." Elliot answered.

The doctor scoffed. "I don't believe that for one second. Even as a child you never had many friends. Let's cut to the chase. In a few months you'll turn twenty and be moved up to the next division. If you haven't learned to quit lying by then, they'll beat it outta ya."

"Ha ha, very funny. I know well enough what the young adult's division is like. And I know for a fact that I was ready to move up a year ago."

"That's your opinion, boy. No one else's."

Elliot silently observed the nurses as they shuffled about to save Danny's life.

"They're the fastest team in the county."

"Very fitting for a group of elites if I do say so myself."

"Now, tell me, what's so valuable about these teenagers that you had to string them along? Do they all have some sort of tie-in to your mission? To CorUPT?"

"That injured boy—Danny—knows Vlad Plasmius personally. And an enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Well said." The doctor smiled. "What about the others? The Rastafarian, the bird, and the repulsive goth girl?"

"The Rastafarian's name is Tucker Foley. I'm speculating he's somehow related to Maurice Foley. The guy who made all those illegal factory deposits."

"Oh yes. He's quite the swindler. Scandal after scandal, we all know he did it but there's no solid proof left to pin on him by the time we get over there. He'll probably cheat his way to the afterlife too."

"But his son's different. Tucker's intentions are more than good."

"And the one with too much eye makeup?"

"I haven't quite figured her out yet. Sam's definitely bitter about a lot of things. But she and Danny are like a package deal. Same with the bird—it's loyal to its master."

"Ah, I see. So Danny's sidekicks won't mind waiting in the holding room while Agent Lysander has a chit-chat with him, right?"

"I suppose they might agree to that."

"Doesn't matter if they agree or not. I can't risk more information being leaked."

"That's understandable." Elliot and the doctor shook hands.


	12. Chapter 8 part 2 - Interrogation

**Here is part two XD I hope you are all enjoying it so far! Prenn says she's real proud of me. When she was proofreading it, she found only a few grammar errors. Please review~**

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><p>Dr. Gray pulled out a mini-phone gadget and called in for Agent Lysander. Immediately, a big, bulky young man entered. He had a large, thin-lipped mouth and his suit was sheer, clean pine green—the CorUPT standard uniform. His shoes were shiny black leather and he had a silver watch on his wrist. The Rolex probably cost several hundred dollars by the looks of it. "Good afternoon."<p>

"Find out what you can from this boy over here once he wakes up. His name is Danny and he claims to know Vlad." Said the doctor. "I'm going to take these kids to the holding room for a while."

"Holding room?!" Sam barked. "Elliot!" She blamed.

"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" Dr. Gray said calmly.

"Yes, yes I am."

"I never liked those." He lifted her up by her skinny little arm. "You too, Mr. Dreadlocks."

"No need to use brute force. I'm coming." Tucker rose up slowly. "Come on, Spooky." He gently picked up the bird who was nuzzling sleeping Danny's cheek.

Paulina eyed Elliot cautiously. He gave her a subtle look in return. "Looks like Danny is coming to." Paulina said quietly.

"Is he now? It's about time." Lysander mouthed. "I don't have all day. I don't like to be kept waiting."

"And I don't like you." Paulina dared to say.

Lysander's bushy eyebrows came to a crease. "So what?"

"So deal with it."

Elliot smiled, impressed. _Be careful little princess_, he thought.

"Wake up, angsty emo kid." Lysander hovered over Danny.

Danny's eyelids blinked a few times to adjust to the bright lights. "Who are you?"

"The name's Lysander: remember it. I need to know some things about you."

"The thing is, I'm not a very open person."

"And I'm not a very _patient_ one." Lysander pulled out a knife.

Paulina gasped. "Put that away! There's no need to scare him! If you so much as harm one hair on his head I'll come after you!"

"Ooh, I'm so scared." Lysander mocked. He studied Danny. This kid looked so thin, so bony, so weak…muscular slightly, but damaged. What was holding him together? Sheer willpower? "Danny, Vlad is a big-time villain. How would a teenager like you have anything to do with him?"

"That's none of your business."

Lysander brought the knife closer to Danny's throat. "Danny, please!" Paulina begged.

"Fine, fine. But let me get comfortable first." Danny sat up straight. "That's better. And now I'd like a glass of water or milk. My throat's a bit pasty."

"Get him some milk." Lysander commanded to one of the nurses.

"Here you go, kid."

"Thank you." Danny chugged the glass.

"Quit toying with me."

"Gosh, don't get your panties in a twist."

Paulina laughed loudly. Lysander glowered at both of them.

"I was thirteen when I met Vlad for the first time. The street lights were glowing very dimly that evening as I walked home from school. I was one of the good kids in my class. I stayed away from bullies like Dash Baxter. I heard a scream down the alley and I recognized it to be Dash's. I didn't have a phone on me. Somebody was mugging Dash and I was the only one around to help. All I had was Spooky. Spooky started squawking incessantly. Something about Dash's mugger made my owl afraid. I told the bird to hush, but he didn't listen. He went nuts. The mugger already had Dash down and came after me. He seemed to almost float underneath that big black cloak of his. There was no way I could outrun him. I led him into the poorer area of the city where the houses were falling apart and I pulled out some bricks and started chucking them at the mugger's head. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me because the bricks went right through him. I'll never forget that frigid blue skin or those demonic red eyes—that is the tale of my first encounter with a ghost."

"So what happened to you?" Paulina asked caringly as she stroked Danny's hair away from his eyes.

"I passed out."

Lysander found the story to be quite satisfactory, only a bit over-embellished for his own taste. "That's cute."

"And from that point on, I realized that justice in our corrupt city wouldn't come easy. But when it did come, it would be worth it."

Paulina applauded. "Well put!"

Danny smiled. "See? I'm not such a bad guy."

"Don't get too cocky. You haven't made a fan out of me." Lysander sighed. "But that story…it'll be your admission ticket to see the boss." He pulled out a small recorder that had been in his front shirt pocket the whole time. "You see, very few of us CorUPT agents have had a face-to-face encounter with Plasmius. For the moment, you're of some value to us, Danny."

"Yay."


	13. Chapter 9 part 1 - Rise to new heights

**Here's part one of the next chapter :D I know how much you've been waiting for this! Like the AU? I'd really like to know. I hope I've kept everyone in character. The rating may go up to T because there's going to be some violence coming up in a chapter or two. **

**Review please!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Rise To New Heights<strong>

"Accompany me to the elevator, Elliot." Lysander started to detach the cords and whatnot from Danny's wheeled medical bed. "We'll be taking a little trip."

Paulina stood up and swished her hair to one side. "Where's that?"

"Eh, M.K.F. will want to know about your Danny."

"_My_ Danny?"

"_Her_ Danny?"

Lysander chuckled. "Paulina, your job is to get rid of those other two kids. Send them back home. They don't need to be here."

"But sir!" Elliot interrupted. "They know the location of the base!"

Lysander frowned. "Let me guess: you didn't blindfold them?"

Elliot shook his head.

"Ugh, I knew it! That's a serious crime! Paulina, make sure they breathe in a lot of that amnesia invoker. It'll wipe everything they comprehended within the past four hours."

Paulina nodded compliantly and then left.

"Elliot, go catch the elevator." Lysander commanded. He followed the young man into the hall with Danny comfortably resting on his gurney.

These elevators had dark red walls with bronze trim and they were about three times the size of an ordinary elevator. They also had a door opening on either side. The trip took a while as many people shuffled in and out at each stop. Danny felt a bit uneasy in the bottom depths of his stomach.

After they cycled through five floors, Lysander said suddenly, "Here is our stop." At the sixth and highest floor.

_It was about time we get out_, Danny thought. As Lysander pushed him through this hall, Danny got this eerie sensation. The place was so quiet. There were perhaps only one or two people walking around in their white lab coats. One young lady was wearing fishnet leggings. She smiled at Lysander as she passed. He checked her out, but she seemed oblivious. "Who was that lady?" Danny asked.

"Nobody you'll ever need to talk to."

"Her name's Valerie Gray and she's the daughter of the doctor that treated you." Elliot said smugly.

Lysander didn't even turn around, yet Danny knew the Agent must have been quite annoyed.

The fishnet reminded Danny of Sam. His heart started pounding uncontrollably when he realized something had either blocked or severed his psychic connection to her. Maybe that was a side effect of the amnesia. Still, one couldn't be too sure.

In a heartbeat, they came to an all-stop. What they stood in front of was a great oak door, closed, yet majestic in its own way. Lysander himself seemed a bit shaky as he knocked on the door. Danny sensed a tidbit of guilt emanating from the man. Danny used to wonder what young people had to feel guilty about since they had only been on the earth for so many years. Oh how wrong Danny was back then! Sometimes, young people are the guiltiest of all.

A large, muscly teen with a blond buzz cut opened the door. He was standing so straight it almost looked inhuman.

"Who are _you_?" Lysander croaked.

Mister Muscles eyed the Agent carefully. "I should ask you the same. Since you're an Agent, I'm assuming your reason to bother M.K.F. is significant enough. However, you as well as any of us know the penalty for bothering her without a significant reason."

"_Demotion_." They said in unison.

Lysander entered, followed by Elliot. "Hey, what's this guy doing here? And why is that boy on a gurney?"

"Don't worry. It's between M.K.F. and myself." Lysander proceeded. It was as if he had been this way several times. By the looks of it, Danny could tell the Agent knew this sector better than even the young man who worked in it. That's bound to arouse suspicions…if anyone was observant enough to notice besides Danny.


	14. Chapter 9 part 2 - Theory

They passed underneath a great, wide, wooden archway. Danny looked up ahead and saw a very wide desk stacked with papers, packaged boxes, and various electronics. There was a woman who was sitting slightly off-center of the table.

Lysander saluted.

"At ease." The woman said calmly. She looked up confidently but with a pained frame of mind which she was trying to hide. "Is there a…" She noticed Danny, stood up, and began to inspect the child. "Who is this?" She asked defensively.

"Danny. He's exactly the type of person you've been looking for."

The woman touched her short red hair repeatedly. She seemed worried about it even though it was straight as a pin. Must be a nervous habit. She also had these strange purple eyes. There was only one other person Danny had ever seen that had eyes like that—Sam.

"You're M.K.F.?" Danny sat up. "You're the person that they keep mentioning?"

Lysander frowned slightly.

"I hardly like to be mentioned!" The woman smiled a bit. "But since I am the CEO of this place, it would be difficult to keep the workers and agents down below from whispering my name. All's good that you know who _I_ am, but who are _you_? What is your purpose for being here?"

"I know Vlad Plasmius."

She gasped. "You're one of the few to have seen his face and lived."

Just then, that one scrub with the fishnet leggings entered with a dinner tray in her hands and a smile on her face. Elliot nodded to her as if they were friends. "Your low cholesterol soup."

Ah, so M.K.F had hart precautions, eh? Being observant cold only help Danny out later on.

"Oh, thank you Valerie." She sat down at the desk again, the tray in front of her. "Agent Lysander, if you don't feel so obliged, you may stay with me while I dine."

Elliot helped Danny into a chair. They and Lysander gathered around the desk. "How is Jack holding up?" Elliot questioned.

She dropped her fork on the ground.

"I got it." Valerie said. "Here you go."

"…Thank you." She shook her head dazedly. "I apologize. I don't know what came over me back there. Now Jack. He keeps hoping he'll get better; we all do. The fact is…he isn't."

"Is it still in his system?" Lysander asked calmly.

"No. The technicians finished pumping out the last drop of neurotoxin yesterday. There was still a ton of damage done to his body. I've seen the looks on their faces and that's all I need to tell me they believe it was _too_ much." She coughed. "Jack doesn't like his room. It seems far too private and reclusive to him. He hates the never-ending quietness. Basically the only noise he hears is when people are outside the room muttering pessimistically about him. Jack's always been an optimist."

"And what are you?" Danny asked. He received several head turns.

"Me? I'm a realist. Which means sometimes I'm on both sides."

"Like a double agent."

"DANNY!" Lysander yelled.

"Agent, it's perfectly fine. As a young girl, I was considered a hypocrite by most of my so-called friends. Now look what I've achieved for myself and my family. And keep in mind where those friends of mine wound up." She shook her head sadly. "Fools."

Just then, Danny felt a little sting in the back of his mind that caused him to close his eyes tightly. The pain only lasted for half a second, but still that was a bizarre sensation. He had a theory that his eyes were bloodshot know even though there was no logical reasoning for that to be happening. Nothing was putting a strain on them at all.

"There were two others that came into the picture with Danny here." Lysander changed the subject. "And unless they are being sent back to their homes as we speak."

"Sent back?" Danny spurted. "You didn't say anything about sending them back!"

"Ah, but I just did. Valerie, see to it."

Valerie nodded at her dismissal.

Danny frowned stubbornly.

"Calm down." Elliot warned. "You'll get to see them soon enough."

"It's never that easily." Danny said quietly.

"True."

Danny could swear Lysander had a slight smirk on his face as the word came out. "Stop beating around the bush. Tell me what it is you want from me. _Now_."

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><p><strong>Review please! Chapter 10 will be coming soon now that I am getting more serious about this story :D<strong>


	15. Chapter 10 part 1 - sam's section

**Hey :D here's part 1 of the next chapter, which is called "Synonymous". As you can see, I am making more regular updates now. I hope you guys are enjoying the story! Please review. Thank you those who have and those who keep comin back for more ;) there WILL BE more.**

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><p>"He wants you to lead him to Vlad." Elliot replied. "Er, we all do."<p>

It wasn't like this was that big of a surprise. Danny knew the topic would come into the light sooner or later. It's these agents, all of them, they seem to be obsessed with Vlad. That fact disturbed Danny quite a bit. He wondered where Sam and Tucker were and what they were doing at this very moment.

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><p>Sam was asleep when she was dropped off at the Manson hose by two lower-class CorUPT agents. She was placed on the couch with a note taped to her chest. It was written in her own penmanship, explaining her long absence and that she was with Danny and Tucker and now she crashed. It was addressed formally to both of her parents.<p>

As the agents left, they found it weird that almost all the valuables and other furniture pieces that would be present in a normal house were gone. Since there were no cars in the visible driveway (there was no garage), the agents assumed they got lucky and both parents were out.

That was true, in fact, both of the Mansons _were_ out. They just weren't coming back. Ever. Er, as far as they were concerned. Sam didn't wake up for another two hours. As she began to explore the house, a very strange feeling loomed over her as if she was being watched.

Where was Spooky? He had to be with Danny, wherever that was. Sam would never admit it, but at a time like this, she kinda missed that bird.

She headed into the kitchen and dialed that big turquoise phone that rested there in its charger. "Mom? Hello? Mom, pick up please. It's Sam…I'm just calling to…find out where you are. There's some furniture missing from the house, and on top of that I can't remember the past several hours of my life so I must have passed out suddenly. I could've sworn Danny was home too, however it seems he's not around. His motorcycle's gone too." She checked her watch. "I'm assuming you guys went to dinner without me…"

Sam then proceeded to dial dad seven times. He didn't answer any. Not a one.

"Where are you guys?" Sam asked herself.

She went into her dark bedroom. Thankful to see her dark purple and black bathrobe there, she put it on the more comfortable clothes she changed into. She slipped on a pair of slippers, took her hair out of that pesky ponytail, and slothed downstairs to the kitchen once more where she put popcorn into the microwave.

Sam flipped over some couch pillows to see if the television remote was somewhere around here. It had to be. Sam let out a frustrated groan. "Ugh, why can't I even watch television?" She complained.

The microwave beeped twice. Sam poured the popcorn into a giant salad bowl. Then the thought occurred to her to call her friend Tucker. After all, as much as Sam liked being alone, there was something deep down inside of her that missed Tucker. Something that wanted him to be here.

"Hey? Tucker? You there?"

"What's up?"

Sam sighed in relief. Golly, was she happy to hear someone else's voice. "How…are you?"

"Fine. And you?"

"…Actually, I don't know. I've been feeling a little strange lately."

"I haven't."

"I've got some strange anxiety too. Ever since I woke up, I…I dunno. My family kind of went out without me."

"Why do you sound so upset? I thought you couldn't stand your parents."

"I can't."

"Then stop complaining."

"I am not! Ugh, Tucker I just wanted to talk to you."

"I don't know what to talk about."

"Fine then."

"What's with that attitude? I never did anything to you!"

"I…" Her voice softened as she took in a breath. "I don't know. It feels like we're missing something."

"Nothing happened."

"Huh?"

"I haven't talked to you since last Friday."

"…Sure?"

"Yeah. Positive."

"Feels like we've talked earlier today."

"I'm not sure I like this new attitude of yours."

"You're just irritable for some reason. I'll call ya later and you might be more considerate then." She said earnestly.

"You can call but I won't answer."

Sam scoffed. Tucker collected his pride and hung up before Sam could give produce a valid comeback.

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><p><strong>What dija think?<strong>


	16. Chapter 10 part 1 - tucker's section

Heeere's part two :)

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><p>Tucker Foley lived in a larger than average house with his two parents Maurice and Angela along with several siblings. Both of the adults worked for the Hanto Factory system which operated in buildings all across the country. Maurice was a key worker. He did more for the business than most of the other workers, which was probably the reason he had been promoted as often as he was.<p>

Tucker's mother was a homemaker and interior designer. While the children were at school, Angela traveled to other people's houses and made the rooms look more appealing. She was moderately successful. Since she never complained about work like Maurice often did, the children assumed she enjoyed the work. Come to think of it, Angela rarely spoke of work at all, unless she was asked a specific question by one of the children.

The last thing Tucker remembered (before passing out in his bedroom) was talking to his younger brother, Bob, about stealing something. It really agitated Tucker not to remember what the object was. It had to be important! Now Tucker scanned his room. What was missing? His laptop? No, it was still in its case, and didn't have any new scratches or fingerprints on it either. His rifle? There it was in the drawer like always. BB gun? Present. Leaning tower of video games? Same size as usual. Same order of the games. Still leaning slightly to the left. Hats? All present and accounted for. Scarf? In the closet where it belonged.

Tucker felt a chill. He realized the window was open. Had he left it that way…? Honestly he didn't remember doing that. Or even going near that half of the room for that matter. He tried to close it quickly. When it didn't budge after Tucker heaved with all his strength, he looked up, and realized there was something plastic forcing it open. It was jammed. He plucked it out and then the window shut by itself. This was just a little piece of trash. He tossed it out.

Downstairs, all the siblings were coming home from their various activities. The noise of the ensemble was quite irritating. Tucker had three brothers and three sisters. The youngest was a boy, and he was five years old and in kindergarten. Bob had been snowboarding with his neighborhood friends and the younger children had visited neighbors' houses.

"Mama what's for dinner?" The little girls asked.

Tucker hustled downstairs. For some reason he felt like asking his father a few questions about work. Where was dad anyways? He was usually home this late in the day.

"Mama, mama!" The littlest boy pouted. "I'm hungry."

Angela was in a bit of a mood today. Tucker was the only one who realized this. Angela quietly went about her business procuring sustenance for the children just to shut them up.

Angela kept muttering something to herself. "It's not too late…not too late." The tone of which she spoke in was a very strange one. How unlike her.

"Mom?" Tucker started.

"Not now, Tucker." She cut him off with her calm, yet semi-robotic voice. "I'm busy."

"Where is dad?" The teen asked regardless.

"Go to bed."

"Mom." Tucker protested. "Seriously?"

"Go to bed Tucker."

"I'm seventeen. I don't have a bedtime."

"Don't talk to me like that. This is your last chance. Go to bed and I'll bring your dinner up in a couple of hours."

"Why are you suddenly talking to me like this? What's your problem? We used to have such a great—"

"I can promise you I won't change my mind. Go now."

Tucker huffed irritated. His whole life, his mother has always respected him. He was always on good terms with his parents. Maurice being a quiet, weak-willed man, mostly kept to his own ideas and let Angela run the household while he focused on job situations. Maurice was quite fixated on his job as a matter of fact. He had a way of making sure people didn't notice this about him though. Tucker noticed, but he wasn't going to let his father know that he knew it all along.

As Tucker was lying across the bed, his neck in his folded hands, he frowned disconcertedly. There was an uneasiness left in his stomach due to that suspicious nap he had in the afternoon. Tucker knew himself well, possibly better than any other person knew their own psyche. Tucker almost never took naps. Was it just coincidence about mother's attitude, the hyperactive children, and father's absence too? What are the odds that all of this would happen on the one day of the month that he took a nap?

Tucker's phone rang. "Paulina?" He asked aloud. "Must have dialed a wrong number. There's no way that popular chick would want to talk to me." He hung up before the phone could even finish its next ring.

He was just glad it wasn't Sam again. What was up with her?

Tucker moaned as the phone distrupted silence once more. He had to pick it up.

"Tucker?"

"Paulina?"

"Please don't hang up! This is important!"

"What?" The boy asked dryly.

"It's about Danny?"

"Eh?"

"I've got a theory he's gonna be in a serious situation soon. If the need be, would you be able to help him out?"

"What are you talking about? Danny's not my friend anymore. We haven't spoken in weeks, remember?"

"Oh." Her excited voice deflated. "You really _don't_ remember…"

"I remember it perfectly! Since when are you so keen on the freak too? It really makes no matter I suppose. I'm declining your request, and I'm _not_ sorry about it so don't even think about expecting an apology. Not like Danny would want my help anyways."

"Oh I'm sure he will."

"You're wrong Paulina, quite wrong."

Paulina sighed. Maybe there really wasn't any way to get through to him at the moment. "Goodye." She almost whispered as she pressed the hang up button.

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><p>Leave a review for meh please!<p> 


	17. Chapter 11 - Now that's more like it

**Here's a niiiice long chapter for you all :P**

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><p>Chapter 11: Now That's More Like It<p>

"Danny?" The Madame known as M.K.F. asked the teen. "You have every right to refuse the mission which I am about to give you. So that's why I'm going to ask you, not as a CEO, but as a friend. Won't you help us find Vlad?"

Danny looked down at his hands. They were trembling with adrenaline. "I will." He looked up fiercely.

Elliot smiled slightly, a fact which only Lysander noted. The Agent frowned. "He's not an Agent, madam. Keep that in mind. He hasn't proven his loyalty to us on any occasion. You have no way of keeping him from becoming a turncoat."

"A valid point, Lysander, which I have not overlooked." M.K.F. stated. "We have no reason to trust you, Danny. Dually, we have no reason to suspect you for treason either. And I do not propose to resort to threats or bargains either…I refuse to sink to that level. And asking you to watch over him, Lysander, would be a bit too cliché for my taste. Our Danny boy is old enough to take care of himself, correct? After all, he is my brother's son."

Danny gasped. His face went pale as death. His heart began to pound, though he felt as if he had crossed over to the other side. It was almost like he was watching the next few moments from outside his body. A slap upside the head from Lysander snapped the boy out of it.

"On what grounds have you made this conjecture?" Lysander inquired.

"Those eyes are enough to give away the identity of any descendant of my late father. He was a mighty peculiar fellow in his latter days…think about it, Danny, you and…your sister…"

"Who? Sam? I was adopted. I have no siblings of any kind."

M.K.F. nodded appropriately, "…Your sister and you share a telepathic communication, do you not?"

Danny nodded slowly and carefully.

"The connection between twins is the quickest way to identify members of our family. You have probably been wondering why Vlad's been after you for so long, correct? Well now you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Vlad's always had a curious attraction to this ability. He's tried so hard to extract it from a twin to use for his own purposes and study it, but those awful procedures have never worked. Unfortunately, he still hasn't let the idea go. Vlad is the very reason your father, Jack, is near death."

Danny was still in shock, yet pleased at the same time to have discovered his heritage. In an instant, a very terrible thought crept into his mind: his connection with Sam had been severed somehow because he was no longer hearing her thoughts. She should have woken up by now! Even if she hadn't. No…not Sam. Not now! Not…_his sister_!

Sam had drifted off to sleep by means of the gently rocking sea waves she heard in her head. She was completely unawares to reality, where at present, several figures clothed in dark navy were hovering over her. One of them had injected a neurotoxin into her neck. She now rested helplessly in an induced coma, which the Big Man himself had ordered.

Two of the figures, who, all their lives had never liked Sam, were finally able to extract their revenge. They'd been waiting almost two decades for this moment. Now that it had finally come, vengeance ran sweet like honey in their mouths. Their names were Jeremy and Pamela Manson; and there was a very specific reason as to why they adopted and raised Danny and Sam.

Vlad Plasmius had ordered them too.

Vlad thought of everything, didn't he? A master of chess had a far greater understanding of the game than someone playing it for the first time. Vlad carefully considered every variable and every possibility. Geniuses were good at that sort of thing.

"I hate this old house." Pamela said to Jeremy. "I'm so glad we're finally, _finally_ out."

Jeremy nodded in response. He looked down at Sam and scoffed. "It's amazing, really. She and her brother probably thought we were oblivious to everything, didn't they?"

"Undoubtedly." A new body entered the room, one who was above using doors to roam about, and whose heart was frozen colder than dry ice. "And now that the weaker twin is dead, I'll have an easier time of catching her counterpart."

"Dead?" Another hooded figure asked. He was a sizely man with curly brown whiskers on his chin. "I thought we were putting her into a coma! That's what you told me, isn't it?" He quivered.

"You've worked with Vlad long enough to know his style." Pamela sassed in her usual nasally tone.

Jeremy smiled as he pinched the thin skin of Sam's wrist. "Dead as a pencil."

"That doesn't make any sense." Said a different figure.

"That's the point." Jeremy retorted.

"I'll be sure to thank your old pal Garrison for sending her our way." Vlad stated. "Anyways, excellent work, guys. Clean up whatever mess you've got. We're going for the big one next. The kid may not be in himself a rarity, but his ability certainly is. He's the last twin of their line, and I'm going to make sure they don't produce any more. _Ever_."

The group nodded and cleaned up in an acceptable timetable. Then, they travelled to their base. The building was very classy, modern, and chic, filled with various exotic paintings and treasures. But it was deep below in the chasms of the secret basement where the _real_ action happened. Hundreds of adults swarmed around like bees in a hive, each with their own specific task and stand-apart reason for benefiting the group. They all had their chance to impress Plasmius—and those who still breathed today had played their part correctly. Rock music blared through the speakers to keep the workers in the mood as they squandered about. The method was successful in keeping the adrenaline flowing. After all, adrenaline played a big part in the probability of success rate. Spies came in all shapes and sizes.

All was good and well until Jeremy and Pamela swept in through the doors with the body. There were a few pleased chuckles heard round. A few men from the Department of Disposal came around and collected the body.

"Now that's all taken care of, we can go to dinner, correct?" Jeremy asked Plasmius.

"No." The monster replied.

"You're the boss." Jeremy stated.

"What's your new approach?" Pamela asked curiously. "Obviously your original plan to capture that slippery boy didn't work."

"_Obviously_." Vlad repeated coldly. "My new plan is sure-fire."

"Tell us." Jeremy enthused. "_Sir_." He corrected.

"No." Plasmius stated rottenly. He flew away in the direction of the office.

Jeremy headed to his cubicle where he and partner Pamela went about their typical research. They had received a stack of memos to dig through. Pamela typically read the messages while Jeremy used the search engine. "I think I found something, Pamela. Take a look at this." The woman leaned in. "Ricardo Sanchez, marriage license. Married Graciela Shrewbert. No mention of a child though."

"Would it be in there?"

"Dunno. Let's check. Here it is…Paulina Sanchez. Huh. No age. Only the picture of a baby. Since Ricardo and Graciela were (and presumably still are) CorUPT agents…they must be protecting the child."

"Yes, yes. So she is useless. All Vlad seemed to want are the parents anyway, though I suggest we put the child's name in the report."

Meanwhile Maddie and the other CorUPT agents were having a swell time of figuring out what to do with their little predicament.

"Yahoooo!" Danny shouted exuberantly at the top of his lungs over the roar of the engine. "Now that's more like it!" The teen had received a new white and blue car as a tool for hunting down Vlad. Every technological availability had been lavished on the sexy car.

Danny's joyride thoroughly pleased Lysander, who was himself watching the boy. Lysander's hand was casually placed in his right pocket. His palm cupped a remote on which his index finger was lightly resting beside. He pressed an adequately sized button. Immediately the vehicle obeyed the command from the remote which issued it. Danny was no longer in control of the car. It came to a screeching halt three feet before Lysander's face. The man didn't even flinch. "Get out." He addressed Danny.

The youth emerged reluctantly from the driver's seat. He felt his bandaged upper left arm where he had just received a chip implant from Dr. Gray down in the hospital section. The muscle throbbed still, though a numbing serum had been applied. "The pain will subside within the next two hours." Danny recalled the Doctor's words. The young man sighed, "M.K.F. said she was going to assign me a partner…who is he? When is he going to be here? I don't see why I need a partner anyway; whoever will only slow me down. Unless I've got Elliot. Is it Elliot?"

"Feeling rather inquisitive tonight, Danny-boy?"

"Considering I'm running low on sleep, lower on patience, and the twin sister I didn't even know I had might be in mortal danger, I think I'm handling the situation pretty well, don't you?"

"Better watch your mouth, kid, or you'll lose the privilege to speak."

"Ooh, I'm so scared." Danny smiled. His eyes wandered to the front door of the building, where out came Valerie in a somewhat high-tech orange suit and helmet. She was well-armed with guns, blasters, and various other containers. She walked smoothly over to the car where she took a dive into the back seat and started fussing around with the secret compartments. Danny leaned over.

"Don't bother." Lysander stated. "Valerie is _my_ partner."

Valerie shot up at the sound of her name. There was a red locket in her hand which she held up to her neck. On its own, the object jumped on and became part of her suit. Valerie continued her strut down the parking lot in as fashionable an exit any supermodel could have made.

Lysander smiled smugly at Danny. "Here comes that imbecile now."

Danny did a complete 180 and saw Elliot approaching him. "So my partner _is_ Elliot…" Danny stammered, sounding a tad more deflated then he was before Valerie came out.

"Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?" Lysander smirked. A bright red sports car (which was ten times as sexy as Danny's new car) pulled up with Valerie in the driver's seat. Lysander tossed the remote to Elliot over Danny's head. The Agent jumped in without a second thought. Valerie revved the engine, leaving Danny and Elliot in the dust.

Elliot coughed politely. "We've got a lot of ground to cover today so get your head out of the clouds." He took the driver's seat in the car and Danny sat in the passenger's. "There'll be no pretty girls around for a long, long while…"

"But what about my sister?"

"Your point?" Elliot started the engines and gave Danny a very dumb look. Danny went along with it. After all, it's not like he had many choices anymore, did he?

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><p>Review please! And my co-authoress, Prenn (Leonardo DiCaprio on this site and PrennCooder on FictionPress) is making this into an original story now since it was AU and slightly OOC already. What do you think? Should I still continue to post chapters here, just with name replacements, or would you rather read it as an original story on FP? It'll be called...Corruption City! :D<p>

Review please :)


	18. Chapter 12 - CorUPTed heroes

**Please continue to review, guys. And many thanks for all those thousands of hits :D**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: CorUPTed Heroes<strong>

Elliot and Danny had been about their quest for days. Days that stretched on endlessly. No lead had been found; not a one. The only reason they had been allowed to continue in this is because Maddie had explained that the Mansons, the so-called parents who had raised him, were probably the very same people who had taken Sam. And given that Danny no longer had a proper home to return to, he received a dorm room in the CorUPT base. He dined with the Agents as if he was one. He had even started to think like one. Perhaps that was just the chip talking. Every time Danny had asked Lysander if he could see Paulina, he always replied, "She's busy." Danny highly doubted that the young lady was busy all day every day, but he really wanted to see her. Danny was in desperate need of a friend his age who was not Elliot, whom he saw for twelve hours of the waking day.

Did Danny dare get Tucker involved?

"No." Elliot stated sternly from behind the steering wheel. He didn't even have to look up anymore.

"I didn't ask the question yet." Danny reminded his friend.

"Well whatever it is, I'm sure my answer will be no."

Danny noted that the more he was around Eliot and the others, the less they seemed like real people and the more they acted robotic and emotionless. There was a sound-minded coldness about the Agents that made Danny feel like the only person in the entire city with a heart.

Days flew by, maybe even a week. Still no leads on Sam. The Manson house had been left entirely vacant; neither a fingerprint nor a hair could be found. Danny was left clueless. He was growing lonelier daily. The only words of comfort the youth received were from Elliot, "Just keep pushing. One day we'll make a breakthrough."

But Danny wasn't so sure this breakthrough was what he wanted anymore.

One favorable morning when the sky was slightly bright and the "green" smell in the air was not as toxic to the taste as usual, Elliot and Danny were scoping the city once more in search for any suspicious signs. All of a sudden, another high-tech vehicle with a pinkish tint rounded the corner. It crossed into the lane on the wrong side of the street and stopped dead in front of Elliot and Danny's car. This forced traffic into a very odd jam. Elliot frowned. He tapped a black screen in his car. The view screen came to life immediately and a picture of Paulina appeared. "What are you doing?" Elliot asked. "You know Danny and I are on a mission."

Paulina sighed. "I wouldn't have stopped you if it wasn't an emergency. There's been a Vlad sighting. I need you to come here, boys."

"We got your back." Danny spoke quickly.

Elliot glared at his comrade. "I make the decisions, boy." He took a strange intake which was then thwarted by a cough. At last, he came to the conclusion that assisting Paulina would be of benefit to him too. The engine purred and they followed Paulina's car through a series of sharp turns.

Danny didn't understand why it took Elliot so long to come to terms with his decision. Paulina deserved to be helped! One look on that worried face of hers said enough. A picture's worth a thousand words after all. Danny found as he was thinking about the girl, the pounding noises of the outside world lightened their hold upon his eardrums. Light jazz music began to bounce through his tired head. His _exhausted_ head. If he deserved anything, it was a break. However, if there was anything he _wanted_, it was a kiss from the girl he loved.

Tucker Foley was studying rerouting procedures when he was rudely interrupted by one of his brothers. It was Bob, that pesky little butterball. "Tucker, I overheard dad talking to mom about you working at the factory full-time now, right?"

Tucker's face went hot, as he had not reported into work for almost a month. At first he purposely ditched, then he got sick, and now he just didn't want to go. Tucker was never all that involved in his father's career choice. For certain, the choice was not one Tucker intended to take. "Move." He lightly elbowed his brother aside and trampled down the stairs. "Dad!" He hollered.

Maurice and Angela were having a very hushed conversation composed mainly of undertones. They looked at their son oddly as if they had never seen him before. "Tucker…not now please." Angela said warningly.

"I do not want to work for the factory, father." Tucker stated bluntly.

"Keep your voice down. You're gonna wake the kids." Angela stated, casting a glare of the eyes down at Tucker.

"You both know full well the kind of career I'm interested. And I'm pretty good at technical engineering if I do say so myself. One day I'm going to be pretty useful when you need hotwiring, hacking, and rerouting. You're going to need me. But you know what, _I won't help you_."

Maurice frowned at him. "Why don't you want to work at the factory?" He walked over with big heavy footsteps. He was tall, stiff, and large. His face wore a very dark, unforgiving expression, which scared even the courageous Tucker. "You used to have high hopes for yourself. Working at the factory guarantees income since employees are never fired or let go. The worst you could get is a demotion, and even still the lowest level earns 38 grand in a year. I know I've been there. Now look at me, making almost double that amount because I applied myself! You, son, had better take control of your future. What solid guarantee does the job you want promise? Not a penny, unless you have a supremely unnatural gift."

"But I _do_ have that gift."

Maurice shook his head. "College starts up in a month. And I expect you to take advantage of the situation and make something of yourself instead of keeling over to all these whimsical fantasies. Blackthorn University is exactly the kind of education a young man like you needs."

"Blackthorn U? But that's all the way in Blackthorn county!"

"The very county we will be living in at the appropriate time."

"We're moving?"

"My career has called for a relocation, yes." Maurice stated. "So be prepared to issue your last farewells to your old high school friends."

Tucker frowned hot-headedly. Bob, who was waiting in the corridor, had unfortunately heard every word of the dispute. He intended to retain it, too, for as long was needed.

Tucker's mind wandered in memory of his old friends Sam and Danny from school. Once upon a time, they had been a very tight trio. Now one by one Tucker had lost Danny, then Sam. Now that Paulina chick had been bugging him…probably to try and get in on this long-forgotten friendship. She had no right to do that. She never talked to Tucker during high school. She and Sam always had that rivalry of theirs. Danny and she were friends though.

Part of Tucker wished Sam wouldn't have turned rotten on him. If it weren't for her big mouth, maybe they would have still been friends. And Danny…him and his ghosts…he got involved in some mighty shady scandals in the past. He had this whole fantasy world he lived in. Some think he went mad. Others know better.

"Bob, get over here." Tucker commanded.

Bob jumped, for he did not know that Tucker had seen him. "Tucker?"

In a reflex, Tucker shoved Bob into the bathroom and locked the door. Tucker pushed his little brother all the way to the far wall where nosy parents (who had their ears pressed to the door, undoubtedly) could only hear a blur. "I'm not a free man anymore, Bob. I have responsibilities, but I'm afraid I won't be able to carry them out. I'm going to need your help, kid."

"Ohh…" Bob's voice was trembling and his heart was pulsating heavily, making his reddened face throb with blood. Bob wasn't as empathic as his brother was, so he rarely read between the lines so to speak.

"You'll help me, right?" Tucker stared into the younger boy's eyes. "I'm desperate!"

"I see." Bob took a breath to keep himself in check. "Oh…I…what are you asking me to do, even? I'm not good with technology like you—you're a genius, I've seen all the test scores. So if you're so smart, why haven't you realized the obvious procedure of events yet?"

"Spit it out."

"Get that Danny kid back."


	19. Chapter 13 - Connection

**Enjoy another chappie...courtesy of Prenn ;)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: Connection<strong>

Sweeping down the highway at an ostentatiously fast pace were two BMWs that contained three persons total. All of whom had a high-danger risk and strikingly low expectations for the situation. The pink vehicle in the lead swept through an enormously large puddle which in turn splashed the following car.

Elliot, who was in the driver's seat of the second car, groaned tediously.

"You seem very tense all of a sudden." Danny, the passenger, commented.

"No dip!" Elliot chomped.

Danny's natural anxiety towards situations like this had been numbed over time. Honestly, he wasn't even that scared anymore, so why did Elliot now seem to be?

The leading car stopped suddenly in front of a large bank. Elliot did not seem to be surprised that Vlad would choose this place to make a scene. However, Danny thought that "Obvious" was not Vlad's style. Danny just kept the thought in the back of his head for now.

Paulina once again opened a video chat with Elliot on the mini-screen. "Vlad's inside, of course, so arm yourselves well."

"Of course." Elliot said flatly. He and Danny loaded up as practiced many times in the CorUPT base.

"What if it's a trap?" Danny reminded Elliot subtly.

"That's why I said "of course"…because it so obviously is one…"

"Obviously isn't usually the way Vlad rolls."

"It is today. Remember, Danny, there are some people who are just too crazed up for you to possibly follow the way their brains work."

Danny shrugged. "I suppose that is true."

The boys met Paulina by the front. Gosh she looked so cool in that yellow suit of hers with her long wavy hair swooshing around trying to break loose from that ponytail. The girl was a gem, and she knew it. Fortunately, that was far from her mind right now. She cocked her blaster, ready to fire. Elliot and Danny did the same with their weapons. Then the three of them marched in swiftly. Silently they creeped through the halls, listening. But nothing could be heard. Vlad was still here, right? He had to be.

"Paulina? Elliot?" It was the voice of a girl only a few years older than them.

The trio remained silent and scoped the place out with stealth.

A thin orange-haired girl appeared in a surrendering form. "Elliot." She got his attention.

Elliot panned over. "Jazz? Jazz Fenton?"

"Shh. Vlad captured me, but I escaped."

"Is he still here?" Paulina questioned.

"Yes, but come quietly. Keep your weapons at the ready." Jazz stated. All of a sudden, Elliot pulled her into a hug. She laughed.

Danny and Paulina exchanged awkward looks and then pressed forward with Jazz in the lead. Elliot pretended to follow them, but just as he caught sight of Vlad, he ducked out and went running in the opposite direction. Danny and Paulina were distracted by then. However, Jazz was not. Vlad was hovering dead center in the room. There were all sorts of broken pieces of the building surrounding him as if he had some sort of temper tantrum. Beside him on the ground stood a blond man which Danny recognized as, "_You_! Jeremy Manson! You scoundrel!"

Jazz pulled out a bottle from her pocket, slipped a pill in her mouth, and swallowed it. Her skin began to stretch and her body reverted into the form of a middle-aged woman…Pamela Manson!

Danny scowled. "El—" He looked around, panicking slightly at his partner's absence.

Paulina put on a brave face and forced her way through the garbage surrounding Vlad and his group of goons. Vlad didn't even flinch because at the snap of a finger, one of his men decked Paulina and kicked her in the abdomen causing her to be temporarily rendered unconscious.

Danny sprang to life and tried to fight them off despite the fact that he was sadly outnumbered. What the boy found strange was the fact that even though the foes were fully-armed, they chose to fight hand to hand. Were they…giving him a fair chance? Did they think he didn't notice? Apparently so. Danny fired his blaster right in Jeremy's face. The blond man fled out of cowardice. Unfortunately, Pamela, Vlad, and the other three were not that easy to shake.

Paulina began to stir, though she didn't let the others notice. For once in her life, she didn't call attention to herself. With excellent muscle control, she swept one of the nearby enemies onto the floor, jumped up steadily, and landed in a very precise stance all in a matter of less than three seconds.

If Danny had been watching, he would have been mighty impressed.

Paulina herself was now in what she liked to call "hero mode" where she stopped worrying about the emotions and hindrances of everyday life and focused on the good of the people. Her own life mattered little to her at the moment. Getting out of this skirmish was of much higher demand. "Hiya!" She yelled as she unleashed the full force of her prowess, which was backed up by seven years of mixed martial arts, two years of dance, ten years of gymnastics, three year of cheerleading, two years of soccer, and one year of figure skating. Still, she was no match for the more than worthy rivals which she now faced. Paulina was swaddled by three of the foes in a matter of minutes.

Danny was surprised. If the enemy could just as easily "wrap-up" a person who had far more training than he himself, why did they not disarm him in the same fashion.

"The answer's perfectly clear, my boy." A ghostly whisper invaded the youth's eardrum. Danny gasped. He was completely paralyzed by the ghost's chilling breath. Monster, that's what Vlad was. And a highly intelligent one too. "Feel uncomfortable, Danny? Is it because your tiny mind can't possibly begin to comprehend mine? That's right, be scared. Deep down inside you know the truth…I killed Sam, studied the body, extracted the mutated brain tissue that allowed you to communicate, and then implanted it into myself."

"You're a sick twisted man."

"I know. But you've got to at least give me credit for creativity." Vlad waved his hand in front of Danny's face. Some kind of milky-blue gas clouded Danny's head. He moaned as his sinuses stuffed up immediately. Eventually the headache was so intense that he gave in. Now Danny was out cold.

Elliot was back in the BMW debating on how to go about his plan, which, had now just become extremely complicated. He took a deep breath and tried to persuade his foot to step on the gas. It wouldn't budge. His heart was still pounding. As a child, Elliot used to want to be a military hero. In a weird sort of way, he had sort of gotten to the point of doing it. He couldn't fail now! Not when the stakes were so high!

And so the BMW charged, at high speed, nose-first into the wall. And it kept going, making a path for itself along the hallway. That's the cool thing about cars altered by the agency; they were virtually indestructible from the outside. Oh, and they also had a self-destruct procedure that could nuke an entire county.

As Elliot was nearing the enemy, he remembered what he was doing this for—for Jazz, Paulina, Danny, parents, and all the other people he cared about. "I'll save you Jazz." He muttered under his breath as he rounded the final corner. "Even if it's the last thing I do."

Vlad and his little followers were taking their good old time to get in their vehicle and leave. Elliot took most of them by surprise as he crashed the party. In fact he set the BMW on a collision course with the creepy white mini-van. Elliot jumped out of the car and started blasting at Vlad, who had flown out, with everything he had. Most of Vlad's goons seemed to be unconscious now.

"Tell you what, kid, I'll make you a deal." Vlad said slowly.

Elliot was silent.

"You can keep the girl. She is useless to me. Not that she'll be of any use to you now that she's been put in a coma, but yes, you may keep her, if you shut up, turn around, and walk the other way without firing one more blast on that pathetic little gun of yours."

Elliot fired several blasts prematurely.

"Your choice." Vlad answered. He began to unleash some energy of his own, which intimidated Elliot a bit. "You'll be lucky to leave alive now, boy." Vlad said in a slightly threatening tone. Indeed, he was probably plotting to end Elliot's life here and now.

Fortunately, the young man would not allow that. It was time to induce the next stage in his own plan. In the blink of an eye, Elliot launched everything he had at Vlad. There was no reason to hold back anymore now that Elliot had received the insight he came in there to get. Elliot was starting to be able to predict this monster. The youth jumped into the car in a flash, and started driving. Vlad chased the BMW until it was clear out of the building.

Elliot sighed and started to relax his entire body. Things could be worse. Definitely. Now at least he knew the next step or two to take. The rest of this game would just have to play itself.


End file.
